10 Best Alexa Smart Speakers 2025 in the United States

The Amazon Echo Spot is a versatile and compact Alexa-enabled smart speaker that excels as a smart alarm clock, making it ideal for nightstands, offices, and kitchens. Its sleek design includes a 2.83-inch touch screen display, which is useful for quickly checking the time, weather, and song titles, and for controlling smart home devices. The sound quality is quite impressive for its size, providing rich sound with clear vocals and deep bass. However, it might not satisfy audiophiles looking for a more robust audio experience.

The Echo Spot supports various smart home integrations, such as controlling lights and thermostats, making it a handy addition to a connected home setup. It also comes equipped with a microphone array that ensures Alexa can hear you clearly from across the room, even with background noise. Privacy is well-addressed with features like a microphone off button and voice recording controls.

On the downside, the Echo Spot lacks a camera, which limits its functionality for video calls or home monitoring. Additionally, the display screen, while useful, has a lower resolution compared to some other smart displays on the market. Connectivity is robust, offering dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth options, but it does not support ad-hoc networks or Bluetooth speakers requiring PIN codes. With a focus on sustainability, the device is made from 36% recycled materials. If you are looking for a compact and multifunctional Alexa device with a display and decent sound quality, the Echo Spot is a commendable choice, especially for bedroom or kitchen use.

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest model) is a versatile smart speaker that excels in several areas. It features an 8-inch HD touchscreen that delivers vibrant visuals, making it great for watching content on streaming services like Prime Video and Netflix. The inclusion of spatial audio ensures an immersive sound experience, enhancing both music and video playback. The sound quality is robust with its 2 x 2” full range neodymium drivers, and the passive bass radiator adds depth to the audio output.

For video calls, the 13 MP centered camera offers clear and crisp visuals with auto-framing and noise reduction technology, allowing for more natural conversations. In terms of smart home integration, the Echo Show 8 stands out by supporting Zigbee, Matter, and Thread protocols, eliminating the need for a separate smart home hub. You can easily control various smart home devices like cameras and lights through voice commands or the touchscreen display.

The device's design is modern and compact, making it a good fit for most home settings without taking up too much space. The built-in smart home hub simplifies managing connected devices, and the microphone array ensures Alexa can hear you well from across the room. Connectivity options are robust, with dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth support, although it doesn't support ad-hoc WiFi networks or Mac OS X devices for hands-free voice control. While the Echo Show 8 aims to protect user privacy with features like a built-in camera shutter and microphone off button, some users might still be cautious about Amazon's data handling practices. One potential drawback is that certain features and streaming services may require additional subscriptions, which could add to the cost. The device is also designed with sustainability in mind, using 29% recycled materials and responsibly sourced packaging.